Fireflies
by LisbethDreams
Summary: Elizabeth and Ewen have another atypical therapy session, this time with horses. One-shot


Ewen leads a black and white mare over to Elizabeth. "This is Mitsy. She can be a stubborn creature. That one over there is Borlung. He can be a bit standoffish. Don't be surprised if it takes a few session for him to greet you."

Mitsy nudges Elizabeth's hand, so she pets the horses long nose. "How exactly does this work, horse therapy?"

"It's like any other therapy, you talk and the horses will know whether or not you are being honest."

"An equine truth detector?"

"Something like that."

While they have been speaking Borlung chomps grass and nonchalantly makes his way over to Elizabeth. He gives Mitsy a shove on the rump and she moves a little allowing him to get closer.

Elizabeth is a little uncertain, trapped between the fence and the two majestic animals, well three if one counted Dr. Keenan.

"I thought you said it would take a few sessions before Borlung came over to me?"

Ewen pushes his Stetson a little further up his forehead and says, "Well look at that, he likes you already. It's almost like he's jealous of the attention you gave Mitsy. Reach over and touch her side, let's see what Borlung does."

"Are you sure that's a good idea?"

"I'm right here, he won't hurt you."

With trepidation, Elizabeth reaches out to pet Mitsy again. Borlung quickly shifts, so her hand touches his side and not Mitsy.

Ewen watches Elizabeth play with Borlung's mane and asks, "How does that make you feel? Knowing that Borlung is jealous of Mitsy?"

"I don't know." At her answer, Borlung moves a little away from Elizabeth seemingly distracted by a clump of grass. Mitsy takes the opportunity to move closer and rub her head against Elizabeth's arm.

"It's like she's encouraging me!"

Ewen can't help smiling back at the bright smile Elizabeth flashes him.

"Did you notice what Borlung did during your uncertainty and what he's doing now?"

"He moved away but now he's coming back closer again. He looks sort of standoffish, but protective."

"Borlung is a horse that likes straightforward people. Now Mitsy, she's a mother, always taking care of people in pain."

"I guess it makes me feel good then, that Borlung likes me. I must be pretty straightforward. Well, at least most of the time. I have my moments."

"We all do."

By this time Borlung has moved up closer to Elizabeth trapping her again.

Ewen suggests, "Let's try something, I want you to walk to the other side of the paddock."

"Just push through the horses and go to the other side?"

"Yes."

"OK but how do I get the horses to move?"

"You'll figure it out."

Elizabeth pauses for a few moments and looks around her. There is really no way by the horses except to push them away. Mitsy has shifted and Elizabeth might be able to sneak around her rump but from everything she knows about horses the back-end isn't the safest. She reaches up and puts one hand on each of the horses head and takes a step forward, they don't move away. Borlung moves a bit closer, he's pressing full length into her.

She says gently but firmly and moves forward as she does so, "Now look here, I'm going to walk over there and you are going to let me."

At the end of her speech she finds herself through the horse blockade. She looks at Ewen and he nods towards the far side of the paddock. She starts walking.

Ewen asks her, "Tell me what you like best about your life."

She feels at peace and answer, "Everything. I wouldn't change what I have now for anything. I love my boys, I enjoy my job, I'm good at it. I have great friends and a wonderful support system. I'm blessed to have my grandmother still. She loves spending time with the boys and with me."

She keeps walking and talking and when she gets to the other side of the paddock she turns and is surprised to see that both horses followed her. "Oh!" she exclaims.

Ewen calls from the other side of the paddock, "You didn't mention Lucky. What about him?"

"Well I love him of course. He's my boys father, he's been a constant in my life."

As she waxes poetic about her ex-husband Borlung rears and moves quickly to the far side of the paddock away from both Elizabeth and Ewen.

Ewen stops her and asks, "How does that make you feel?" He points at Borlung, busy swatting flies and shaking his head in agitation.

Elizabeth laughs riley "I guess he thinks Lucky and I are toxic too."

Ewen walks over to her, "Do you really believe Borlung has an opinion on your relationship with Lucky or is he just reading your feelings?"

"No I guess a horse wouldn't know what I was saying. It's more likely he knows how I'm feeling when I'm saying it."

Mitsy hasn't moved far from Elizabeth's side, she gives a snort of approval and goes back to eating the tall grass.

"Look Mitsy agrees," Elizabeth laughs.

"I've been saying that others find my relationship with Lucky to be toxic. I haven't been owning the fact that I find it to be toxic too. Not always, it wasn't always like that. But I can see that we've grown apart and the only times we are together is when we are each at our worst. He saved me you know. Maybe you don't. I was raped a long time ago and Lucky found me. He dragged me from the bushes and took me home, he stayed with me, helping me find my way out of the darkness."

"And you had nothing to do with your recovery?"

"Oh I had everything to do with my recovery." As she talks about that time, her therapy sessions at GH, the help she received from Bobbie and her Grams, she finally says that it all came back to her deciding to get out of bed everyday and keep on living.

While she talks, Borlung moves closer and Ewen notices a strange phenomenon; the air filled with the soft buzzing of tiny wings and fireflies flew above the grass. Mitsy moves away, she wasn't needed.

When she pauses the fireflies disappear and Ewen asks, "If you had to describe yourself what would you say?"

Borlung comes up and pushes his head into Elizabeth's hand, "I'm pretty wonderful."

The fireflies start up again and Ewen points them out to her. "Do you see that? What do you think it means?"

"They know I'm telling the truth. They feel it. I feel it, there is a confidence when I speak those words. It's like my heart is full."

The fireflies continue and Borlung snorts in approval.

"I am a survivor. I am a good mother and I am loved by my children. I am respected by most of my co-workers. I care about people. I can make it on my own, I don't need anyone to take care of me or rescue me. I'm not perfect, … but I am marvelous."

Ewen watches the fireflies dance and looks into her sparkling eyes and thinks, "Yes you are."


End file.
